Five Stars and Fangs, James Marchioni Takes the Night Shift in RYDE
The executive producer and star plays a rideshare driver with a very old secret in Paul Quattrocchi’s Los Angeles vampire thriller, and the first trailer lands November 11.
Every Angeleno knows the ritual. The party winds down, the phone comes out, headlights pull up to the curb and you check the plate against the app before sliding into a stranger’s back seat. RYDE, an independent supernatural thriller filmed in Los Angeles, turns that late-night ride home into something with teeth. Production is nearing completion, and the film’s first trailer is set to debut on November 11.
James Marchioni executive produces the film and stars as the driver. Paul Quattrocchi, an editor at Shot Studios, wrote, directed and edited RYDE himself, taking it from the first page of the script to the final cut.
Caitlin Serros plays the passenger, a young woman who leaves a party after an argument and requests a ride home. The car that arrives matches her app, and the man behind the wheel looks like any other professional working the overnight shift. He is not. The story unfolds over a single night in the city and borrows one of vampire lore’s oldest rules, that the creature cannot come inside unless it is invited. In RYDE, the invitation goes out with a tap of the screen.
Marchioni, who started out in digital entertainment, assembled the cast and crew before taking the driver’s seat. It is a quiet role by design. For most of the ride his character reads as unremarkable, eyes on the road and hands on the wheel, while what he really is stays out of view.
Shelby Hunstad plays the best friend of Serros’ character, a part that becomes central to the story. Vic Kallett and actress and singer Josi Raya make guest appearances.
Cinematographer Guillermo Cameo shot RYDE on an ARRI ALEXA system, working with first assistant camera Ashley Ebertowski-Thompson and gaffer Devon Mathis, whose credits include Westworld and Venom. Drone pilot Vito Pulverenti captured the aerial photography, and Robert Ochoa led casting. Night exteriors and moving-vehicle setups took up a large share of the schedule, which tracks for a film that rarely leaves one car on one night in Los Angeles.
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After the trailer, the team plans a festival run, then intends to develop RYDE into a feature film that expands its characters and mythology. Festival dates will be announced as they are confirmed, and more information is at RydeMovie.com.
Until November 11, the usual advice applies. Check the plate, check the app, and maybe take a second look at the driver.
